KAT

By Kat, Jan 8 2017 01:09PM

You have to really want to change, it starts with the mind, with a decision that

you want to live a healthier life.

Only when we are really ready for change will we be able to, not a moment before.

It’s like anything in life; it’s not going to work until we are ready.

Getting ready is the challenge, have you ever tried to give up a bad habit?

Well we all know it can take a while before it all clicks, so take your time, keep going and it will happen.

STRATEGIES

Strategies; we have to put strategies in place, which will aid our goals.

Wishing, dreaming, hoping, praying, is all fine but we have to find ways to make it all work.

E.g. bringing lunch to work, meal prepping, only having water in the house.

Ridding the house of as much unhealthy food as possible.

Deciding to make water your main beverage.

Deciding only to eat out or have take- away once a week.

Make some strong decisions and stick to them, at first they may seem insurmountable but I promise after a while they will become second nature.

COMMITMENT

Committing to exercise, choose exercise, which is fun, which you will enjoy and you will want to do.

Try and commit to exercising at least 4 times a week, if not just do as much as you, some exercise is always better than none.

Make exercise a priority, write it in a diary, treat it like an important meeting. Exercise will not only make you look better, but it will also lift your mood and make you feel better, especially for those experiencing dark winter months.

If finding time to exercise is really a problem, then look for ways to be more active in your life, walking up stairs and exercise, talking walks to the shops instead of using the car.

ASK FOR HELP

Get help from friends family your partner, a nationalist, a dietician, a Personal

Trainer, a counsellor.

Sometimes we cannot make changes on our own, we need help, so if you need help, get it.

A lot of us may well over-eat due to emotional reasons; those reasons will have to be tackled in order to make permanent change.

BODY TYPE, AGE GENETICS, MEDICAL HISTORY

Will all play a part in your results, fighting out what body type you are endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph, finding out if you have any medical conditions which could inhibit your results, what type of metabolism do you are, have. Do you gain weight easy, lose weight easy, do you find it hard to gain muscle or easy?

Are you taking medication, which may be adding to your weight gain, or inhibiting weight gain. There are many different factors to bear in mind when ring to become fitter or when trying to lose weight.

KEEP TRACK

Keep track of your progress, take measurements, weigh yourself, but not too

often.

Write down how many press up’s you managed or how long you held your plank for, or how many sit ups you knocked out.

Keeping a track is a great way to keep yourself motivated and track improvements.

Choosing to live a healthier lifestyle is not an easy decision to make.

I struggled at first, in fact I still struggle, no one no matter what they say, finds making daily healthy choices easy. What we all have to learn to do is to never give up.

By Kat, Jan 8 2017 12:59PM

Below I have written a blog containing beginning tips, these are just my thoughts and feelings about running, my personal opinion not a professional one. I have run 2 marathons, 24 half marathons numberous 5 and 10k’s over the years so I am sharing some of the things I have learnt on my journey.

I still am learning, when it come to running, still seeking to get healthier, setting new targets,and pushing my body my journey has not finished in fact I feel as if it has only just started, so for those of you who are just starting out we are learning to redo what we used to do so naturally as children.

I am not an exceptionally fast runner, both my marathons were over 5 hours, I found them hard going, really hard going, my fastest half marathon has been 2 hours 15 minutes, my fastest 10k, 56 minutes and my fastest 5k, 26 minutes. Having said that the strength training is making me quicker although I do not plan on running any marathons again anytime soon, I am eager to see how my speed picks up with the new changes I have made to my work-out routine.

I have to learn to pace myself better, I can tend to run faster when I am training than in races and I think that is due to not pacing right, excitement and nerves.

Speed is not the point, the point is to run, so don’t be put off if you think you cannot run fast. who gives a damn, just get out and run.

RUNNING AND WEIGHT LOSS.

If you wish to lose weight, running on it’s own may not be the best solution, Yes it can help, but mixing it up with strength and HIIT training really is the key. I have nothing but the upmost respect for running, but I have also learn that adding other forms of exercise including Yoga and Pilates ultimately makes me a better run and is giving me a more toned and muscular body.

Hours of running may not be the best way for many of us to lose weight depending on body type, there are some people who will run and lose weight easily but for the rest of us, it will take more than that, for a number of reasons.

Running can increase your appetite, so running more can defeat the object by making you eat more.

Runners are encouraged to load up on carbs and sugary snacks again this can cause weight gain or slow down weight gain. There are others ways of fueling runs than stuffing ourselves with sugar and carbs, so there is a way around this.

For some of us our body fat can be quite stubborn so running alone will not be the answer, You can find yourself running for miles and miles and still not losing weight, yes you will be fitter and stronger but not slimmer! I know I have so been there, it can be very frustrating and sap motivation.

Exercises that keep burning calories after you finish running prefer better way to lose body fat, e.g. weight-training, circuit training and HiiT. Running has it’s place it will make you fitter, stronger healthier, but when it comes to losing weight, mix it up.

For those of you who are already slim and have a high metabolism running may have the opposite effect I have had people tell me that they had to stop running due to dropping too much weight, again I would advice mixing up your workouts, try not to do one thing solely. In cases like this I would advice adding weight training in the mix to help build muscle and hold onto muscle ad running can actually break it down. Think sprinter and long distance runner, who has more muscle? Ok so if you want to build muscle hours of long distance running will not be the answer.

TRAINERS

I wear asics Kayano’s they are not cheap, but I am an over-pronator which means my feet roll outwards when I run, so I need extra support. Best way to find out what kind of runner you are is go to a shop which has a treadmill camera set up, they will get you running and tell you what kind of shoes you need. If you are planning on running a lot of miles, I cannot tell you how importnat it is you treat yourself to a good pair. If like me you run quite a bit you might consider buying two pairs so you can rotate them. I am a bargain hunter but when it comes to foot health I am willing to spend money. A good pair of trainers will keep you running injury free.

Pounding the pavement can be hard going on your legs so it’s worth investing in a good pair. You will probably have one of three running style, Neutral, underpronater or overpronater the website link below explains it all a lot better than I can. In short it is the way which your feet hit the ground when you run, weather they roll inwards, outwards, e.t.c.www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/pro…

At first you should start very slowly, don’t go out and go crazy, leave the fast running to Usain Bolt. If your running with someone you should be able to talk easily and not be out of breathe.

Many of us start too fast are put off because it's hard and think running is not for them, no since trying to run like you did way back when during sports day at school or you may end up burning out, huffing and puffing like a steam train, within ten minutes, Slow and steady is the way to go.

Speed will come later once you’ve built up your stamina and your body has got over the shock that your running, even if people are walking faster than you, don’t worry you will get faster and remember in the end the tortoise beat the hare!

HAVE FAITH

If you’re consistent, you will see improvement. I was surprised at the quick improvements I made when I started running again, how much following a programme really helped. The first part of a run can feel terrible, sometimes It can take 10-15 minutes or so for me to start feeling good, so just give it time if you don’t feel to great at the start of a run, it will get better, I promise.

Below is a link to the fan coach to 5K programme which will have you running in no time.

http://www.c25k.com

MAKE RUNNING PART OF YOUR LIFE.

Make a commitment to running, promise yourself your going to run a number of times a week, if you can’t find the time make it, I run to the bank put a cheque in and run back home, run to the mechanic to pick up the car. Run home from a school's I’m teaching at. Sometimes running first thing in the morning can be great, you get it out of the way and it’s done. If you really want to do it, you’ll find the time, you find the time for your man, your family and work, now find the time for yourself.

BE SAFE

If you do not feel safe to run alone, (we don’t all live in nice quiet leafy suburbs), convince a friend to join you, if not, There is always some one around who wants to shed a few pounds all you have to do is convince them to join you. Loads of areas have running clubs you can join.

You are not a ninja, trying to blend into the background, wear something bright a nice bright top is a great way to be seen,

If you wear headphones, keep the volume low, or do not wear them at all, you don't want no crazy bastard trying it on, cause you weren't paying attention, but saying that you will now have the strength to beat them off or run away!

Watch out for dogs they love things that run, especially little dog's those rat catchers are the worse.

Watch out for dog mess, Lord it can be a big problem, especially for someone like me who hyperventilates whenever they come across any.

Take a phone out with you,for safety reasons, you never know when you might need it.

Take a pound coin with you, you never know when it might come in handy.

Think carefully about where your running, no lonely, bushy places,

Be aware of your surrounding, it's so easy to zone out when your running, Watch out for cars, bikes motorcycles and even people, basically anything that moves and even things that don’t, broken pavements, potholes, but especially women with buggies, they can be lethal.

Bring along your oyster card, or some bus fare, especially when you first start that way if anything happens or you get tired you can jump on the bus home, I've never needed to use mine, but knowing it's there gives me confidence.

READ UP ON RUNNING

Whilst training for the marathon I devoured everything I could on running, books, website, magazines

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/

Runners world was my bible, you can go on the above link and subscribe or use the website. The magazine is full of tips information, product reviews, and so forth.

clothing sites

Below are three great sites for running clothes, very reasonably priced, I have bought quite a bit of gear from them, I love a bargain and all three sites have some cheap but good quality gear.

http://www.mandmdirect.com/

http://www.startfitness.co.uk/

http://www.sportsshoes.com

You don’t need to spend loads, but if you think your ready to commit yourself, then why not treat yourself to a couple of nice pieces of running clothes to make yourself, feel and look good.

Running tights are great, you may not feel confident enough to wear them in the beginning, but if your brave enough buy a pair, they will make you feel like and look like a runner and they feel as if they are a second skin.

If you live in an area where wearing skin tight gear may bring out the wrong type of attention, then put on anything you feel comfortable in, save the running tights for the running club or a race.

To be honest the most important thing is to get out there and do it, so at first just throw anything on and start running, once you start getting serious you may want to think about upping your standard of running gear and getting something cute and maybe even sexy!

WEBSITES

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=815

http://www.running4women.com/

https://www.timeoutdoors.com/events

These tips are not based on fact or science I am just sharing what works for me. I hope I do not come across as if I am preaching, I have learnt the hard way that dieting alone is not a good thing, that weight gain, being unfit or both can effect self-confidence and body image and how you feel about yourself and effect what you can achieve on a day to day basis. (Running for a bus, train or tube is so much easier now).

1. PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Try and be patient, everyone is looking for a quick fix, but when it comes to running you have to give your body time to get used to your new routine, you will start to see the benefit soon enough, but remember it is not what you do after one week, it is what you do over months that matters. It took a while for me to see the change in my body and my fitness, and at times I would get frustrated but I kept at it, kept trying no matter how challenging I found it. No I was not perfect but I done what I was supposed to do exercise and food wise 90 percent of the time and eventually the changes started to happen.

2. RUNNING LOG

I found keeping a running log really useful it does not have to be anything great maybe just write how far you went, how you felt, that way you can chart your improvement and keep a track of your training. I found it very motivating to look back over the log see what I had accomplished not just physically but I also wrote down how I felt and it was great to see how my moods changed over time,how much confidence I gained and how much quieter my negative voice became.

3. CONSISTENCY

One step at a time can get you where you want to go.

Be consistent, consistency is the key, set yourself a task to meet each week, wether that is run two times, three times, four times or more, and stick to it come hell or high water. Bar death, family emergency or something of that nature, do this for yourself and no one else. Let everyone know that when it comes to your running do not mess. To me my running is more important that anyone elses needs, without running I would not be such a positive person,or healthy person I think we can all find a little time in our day to dedicate to ourselves, regardless of wether we are mothers,grandmothers have partners or are carers.The healthier and happier we are the happier those around us will also be.

3.FIND A FRIEND

Meet up with a friend once a week if you can, or more, running with someone can make the time and miles go quicker. I'm not a member of a running club but I know people who are and find them very helpful and motivating. Since completing the London marathon I have been joined on some of my runs by my partner and I cannot lie it is lovely to have the company, I still like to run alone as well,find it is a great time to clear my head, be creative or just be me, but company is never a bad thing either.

5. SIGN UP FOR A RACE

Alright maybe not the Olympics!

Book in a race a 5k is a great way to start, it will give you something to work towards and help you set a goal, the thrill of a race, will help to motivate you and get you out of the house, even if you do not feel like it. Plus if you manage to drag in a few friends it can become a goal that you all work towards. Races give me focus and something to work towards, some people never sign up for races and thats cools, the most important thing to do is whatever works for you.

6.TRUST YOUR BODY

It is important to trust your body, it will become stronger you will be able to run for longer times and you will become faster. It may not happen overnight but it will happen. Be aware that if you have not exercised for a long time or if you are carrying a bit of weight your body will need time to adjust.

If you are very overweight or have health problems it is worth getting yourself checked out by your GP before embarking on an exercise regime, just to make sure everything is in good order before you fling yourself into your new routine. It took my body a while to respond one day I could just about run 3 miles and a month or so later 3 miles were not problem and I was running 6,8,9 and so forth, It will happen.

7.EAT WELL

Be good to your body, make sure you eat foods that are going to fuel your body, if your exercising, eating lettuce all day is not going to give you the strength you need to run. Extreme diets we all know work for a small amount of time but the weight usually goes straight back on. I don’t know about anyone else but I am sick of gaining and losing weight, for me this time it is all about health and to run I need to eat properly and not be so restrictive I don't have the strength to train. For me being healthy and athletic is more important that being skinny so that means a combination of regular exercise and eating a healthy diet.

8.WATER

Water drink loads of it, it’s your best friend, I try to drink 1.5-2 litres a day, I don't always manage,but I try, be aware your bladder will protest at first and you’ll be visiting the toilet quite a lot or you may find yourself doing your old childhood wee, wee dance until you find one, but once your body gets used to the new intake of fluid it will settle down. Water is great not only for your skin, hair, nails, e.t.c but it will keep you hydrated when you run and also fill the gap when your hungry as sometimes we think we are hungry but we’re we just thirsty.

9. GETTING HOT/COLD

If the weather is heating up, I wear a cap all the time to be honest helps me to feel a little anonymous, and keeps the weather off, sunshine, rain or snow, sunglasses are great for keeping flies and other critters out of your eyes, and again help you to feel anonymous on a run, just be careful if they are dark, watch your step. If it is very hot, watch your pace no need to kill yourself by going like Speedy Gonzales, and drink, carry a small bottle of water, I find drinking small sips help, large gulps always give me a sloshing belly which is not a great feeling.

Wrap up warm when running in the cold, layers are great beaucse as you heat up you can peel them off and wrap them around your waist. In very cold weather, hat, gloves and even a scarf may be necessary.

10. EATING BEFORE A RUN

If I head out first thing in the morning I tend not to eat, but for anything longer than 45 minutes I would have a something, that could be a banana, porridge or an apple at least an hour before I run.

For a lot of us it is hit and miss finding what works for us, some people find eating too close to a run gives them a stitch, other people can eat close to a run and be fine, some people cannot run without some food in their stomach others do not need to eat at all. This is where keeping a running log can help as writing down wether you eat or not can give you an idea of what works for your body, what doesn't and adjust accordingly.

So now you have enough information to get out there and run, so what are you waiting for, go run.

I have always loved running, in the past been obsessed with running, I think you need to be obsessed to run a marathon, but over the last few years I have learnt to ward off injury, boredom and to give me the muscular body I have always wanted, I have to do more than just run.

So try not to become hyper focused on running a well-rounded programme should include long steady cardio, Hiit, strength training and stretching.

Only rest 30 seconds-1 minute, between reps, if you want to push yourself harder, take no rests in-between the repetitions only rest when changing from one set to another.

I work in the 15-rep range, as it is a good range for cutting down on body fat.

Except for the exercises below.

Russian twist was completed 30 times.

Round the world 40 times, 20 in each direction.

Crunches 30 times.

Be mindful if you are new to kettle bells or new to certain Kettlebell exercises, it is very easy to injure yourself whilst using them or if they fly out of your hands injure or destroy things around you. Please look up the exercises or get professional demonstrations before attempting. Especially be mindful of the woodshop, snatch and windmill as these exercises take your body beyond their usual range of motion.

By Kat, Jan 8 2017 12:12PM

Well all women really, but I do notice a lack of women of colour out pounding the streets and at events, so this is a blog to encourage more of us to lace up our trainers and give running a go.

REASONS WHY BLACK WOMEN SHOULD RUN

Running is a great way to get fit and lose weight, just look at the body on Olympic champion Shelly Anne Fraser, see what hard food can do and I bet she never misses the bus, in fact I think she's probably faster than the bus, and if anyone has ever ridden a bus in the Caribbean you know they can shift!

It's a great way to maintain weight, some of us know we ain't ready to lose weight, cause we're not quite ready to deal with our food issues, but we don't want to put any more weight on. Well you could take up running, eat the same way and your weight will become stable and halt the weight gain until your ready to deal with what ever needs to be dealt with, to get you on the right path to losing weight.

Caribbean, African food and American soul food can be unhealthy depending on how we cook it. Food plays a big part in our family lives, fried chicken, macaroni cheese, coleslaw, plantain, dumplings fried and boiled, etc, etc, need I carry on! And you know some relatives be getting very upset if we refuse to eat their food! Running can be the perfect way of controlling this, it will give you a few extra calories to play with.

Just be mindful though running can increase your appetite so if you are not careful you can easily over-eat even with the extra exercise.

Even though some of us might find it hard to admit, food can be a way in which many of us help to numb our emotions. Personally I don't need any excuse to eat. I eat if I'm happy, eat if I'm sad, eat if I have a man, eat if I don't, eat if I'm busy eat if I'm bored.

That is why running has turned into my saving grace, as long as I am exercising I can control my weight, the minutes I stop exercising and continue eating I'm in trouble so praise the Lord for the running.

When I was marathon training back in 2009 and 2010, I would cook up dumplings, yam, green banana and dashing and that food kept me going for miles and miles. If it's good enough for the Jamaican's it's good enough for me!

My first year of marathon training I went to Grenada and Trinidad smack bang in the middle and all that good fresh food, was the only reason I was able to keep running out there. Warning only to be eaten on a regular basis if you are very active, other-wise you may start looking like the very dumplings you love so much!

We have a high propensity to Tye 2 diabetes, fibroids, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke; running can help counteract this.

Our stress levels can be extremely high due to the unique pressures we as sisters face in the world, and running can be a great de-stresser, a way to find time for yourself, away from the man, kids, work, what ever it is that adds to your emotional load.

When I run sometimes I bust two tear, yes I bawl... it's a great way for me to let out my daily frustrations, I chat, reason, recite poetry, pray, talk to whoever is getting on my nerves and tell them about their front their back and their underneath!

Running is wonderful for the sex life, increased confidence in body makes for a sexually confident woman. Come on girls don't you want to be able to fling your man (or woman) down without breaking into a massive sweat and having to reach for your ventalin within 5 minutes cause you can feel an asthma attack coming, when running can do that for you. You'll be able to mash up your man, he'll be begging for mercy. "Lord me God gal, give me a break nah." You'll be running around naked without a care in the world, not ashamed of your body but proud of it.

There are some of us in our thirties and beyond who have not had any children yet. Now I don't know about you but I ain't getting any younger and sadly you can't fight nature (I really should've frozen some eggs ten years ago). Older bodies are not going to bounce back like they would've if we had had children young, so running has to be part of the plan to help the body stay in shape, and to keep up with them once they arrive.

Those of you who are young and not thinking about children yet, cool but you should still take care of your bodies so when the time comes, bam, you can just push out them kid's one time, bam, bam, no problem. Jokes aside we all know the fitter a woman goes into pregnancy the better it is for her and her child, especially those of us carrying extra weight so if your looking to get pregnant and you know you need to lose some pounds you must know what I'm going to say by now....you got it, get running.

Big breasts, yes I am going to go there, and yes I am a small tittie girl so what right do I have to comment? Well your right I don't know what it's like to walk around with two big mounds strapped to my chest, or have to hold them down as I run for a bus or tube, no I don't know what it's like to have to fling them over my shoulders to wash underneath, no I don't know what it's like to run around with two footballls strapped to my chest, or have to wear scaffolding for a bra, but I do know that sports bras have come a long way, so strap those bouncing breadfruits down and get running and stop complaining about a blessing that some of us would love to have! Plus if you really think you got too much, running can help you loose some.

We need to be realistic about our shapes and sizes. Many of us are not meant to be stick thin, we do not have a European figure. Some of us are heavy on the top and the bottom, or like myself just on the bottom. Running can help to make the most of what you got, strong thighs, big glutes, great to power you around the streets. Take the Williams sisters...great example of two different body shapes, Serena has the thick thighs and shapely batty that many of us can identity with and Venus although slim still has a good bit of thigh and a good healthy shape on her.

These girls know how to work what God gave them. You don't see Serena trying to slim down into a size 6 dress... I swear that girl has be a size 14/16 at least, and she look fabulous, strong athletic, thick and healthy. Remember healthy does not come in one size fits all, healthy looks different on different people.

Candace Parker WNBA star who plays for the LA SPARKS, she's not a small girl she's strong, powerful, six foot 4 and a mum. It's not all about being a size zero, but she is unapologetic about about her size and thats the way it should be. Fitness and health should always be our first concern as women, not how skinny we are.

We live in a world which does not uphold our kind of beauty so we need to do that for ourselves. Running can give you a healthy body image and make you realize it's not just about how you look, but how you feel... are you healthy, do you feel good, can you chase after your kids, catch that bus, run after the mugger that stole your purse and beat him down, carry the buggy and the shopping up to the 10th floor, catch the traffic warden just about to ticket your car, grab that last bag of weave like a ninja that some girl was about to get her hands on, win the parents race on sports day and leave everyone else in the dust?

Running for me has been a great way to jump off the band wagon of faddy diets that never work and find a permanent solution to health and fitness. Mix up running with weight training, HIIT, strength training, Pilates and Yoga and you will have a great training programme.

What you waiting for? There’s a whole new healthy world waiting for you.

Now I know how particular we can be about our hair so here are some tips, those of you who are short and natural, you're in one of the best positions when it comes to exercise, cause you can just wash and go. Extensions, and weave, yep yep that can work nicely as well when it comes to exercising. Wig's well no worries at all, when you get back from your run, just bust a new one. Locks, yes they can sweat out a little bit but I tend to wear a bandana to soak up some of the sweat and wash and condition my hair more than I would if I was not running.

Relaxed hair, well I'm not an expert having never relaxed my hair before, but I see plenty of sisters with relaxer exercising so it must be possible. If anyone wants to add any tips or comments on how to maintain hair whilst exercising feel free, cause you know if their hair is okay, then everything is okay.

Hair care

I have had to start taking better care of my hair as working-out can take it’s toil, so I condition it regularly with 1 egg, 1 banana, tablespoon of coconut oil, dash of moringa oil (if you have it) 1 avocado, dash of honey, blend and place on head for a least an hour, wash as normal.

If there are any Kenyan girls reading my blog, you lot got the long distances sown up. I was hoping that maybe somewhere far back I had some Kenyan blood but alas it was not to be, and Jamaicans you lot got the speed, so there is really no excuse, if it's in a peoples genes, it's in the genes, whether you're African, African American, African Caribbean or African European, we all come from the same gene pool. Black girls do run and can run, so it's time I start seeing some of you out and about at races.